Nothing Left of Me by Alex Walters #BookReview #NoirCrime

Book Blurb:

After a stakeout turns deadly, Detective Sergeant Jack Mellor’s life spirals out of control. Struggling with guilt, he quits the force and retreats to the remote northern Highlands, seeking seclusion. But peace is hard to find.

When he’s hired to investigate the disappearance of a young woman, Mellor is reluctantly drawn back into a world of corruption, crime, and deceit. As disturbing secrets emerge, his new life begins to unravel. Complicating matters, his ex-partner Maddie reappears, and a potential new romance is shattered. As Mellor digs deeper, he uncovers a horrifying operation—with shocking connections to those he thought he could trust.

Betrayed and disillusioned, Mellor faces the darkest moments of his life. But as his world crumbles, will a glimmer of hope emerge? And in the hauntingly beautiful Highlands, with only a loyal dog for company, can Mellor overcome his demons and bring the guilty to justice?

His Review:

Retiring from the Scottish police force in Glasgow, Mellor, a former police officer settles in the remote Scottish Highlands. He meets a lovely lady named Lorne and they are immediately smitten with each other. His near-death experience at the hands of a local thug, however, leaves him scarred and paranoid. When she is killed before their date, he disappears to his remote cabin in shock again and wonders why he seems to be a target.

The Highlands are remote but murders seem to happen all around him. Will he be the next candidate? Powerful people seem to be at play here, and when an ex-partner suddenly shows up, he’s left wondering why, and whether or not he can trust her. The storyline turns darker and it’s clear there are disturbing complications to his investigation of a missing person. The outlook is bleak.

Although a rather slow burn start, the plot line turns complex with fully-developed characters. This well-written story reveals that even Northern Scotland is not immune to greed and the violence rampant throughout our planet. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These thoughts are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Noir Crime, Private Investigator Mysteries, Murder
Publisher: Bloodhound Books
ASIN: B0DN1CRHN1
Print Length: 336 pages
Publication Date: December 18, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Alex has worked in the oil industry, broadcasting and banking and has run a consultancy working mainly in the criminal justice sector including police, prisons and probation.

As Michael Walters, he published three crime thrillers set in modern-day Mongolia, now re-published as by Alex Walters in completely new, re-edited versions. As Alex Walters he has written two thrillers set in and around Manchester featuring the undercover officer, Marie Donovan, Trust No-One and Nowhere to Hide. Late Checkout was the first in a series of crime thrillers featuring, alongside Marie Donovan, the rather distinctive DCI Kenny Murrain, who has subsequently appeared in four more books, Dark Corners, Snow Fallen, Stilled Voices and Life Remains. Alex is also the author of the DI Alec McKay series set in and around Scotland’s Black Isle, which currently comprises five books, Candles and Roses, Death Parts Us, Their Final Act, Expiry Date and For Their Sins, published by Bloodhound Books, with a sixth book coming in 2022. He had also written a standalone historical thriller called Winterman, also published by Bloodhound Books. His latest series is set in the Peak District and features DI Annie Delamere. The first three books in the series, Small Mercies, Lost Hours and Bad Terms, are available now from Canelo.

Alex lives in the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands where he runs the Solus Or Writing Retreat with his wife, occasional sons and frequent cats.

He can be contacted at: mike@whitmuir.com

Website:https://www.alexwaltersauthor.com/

Twitter: @mikewalters60

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/alexwaltersauthor/

Details of the Solus Or Writing Retreat can be found at: http://www.solusorwritingretreat.co.uk

Happy Holidays--Have a great Sunday!

Blue Ridge by Peter Malone Elliott – #BookReview – #politicalthrillers

Book Blurb:

What would you do if you were planning to kill your brother—but someone beat you to it?

After former Olympic contender turned burn-out horse trainer Cillian Clarke is framed for the murder of his identical twin Christopher, a rising-star Virginia politician, Cillian is forced to go on the lam. But when someone from Christopher’s past emerges and offers Cillian the chance to clear his name, Cillian is plunged headfirst into a sinister conspiracy that not only threatens the sanctity of democracy, but also promises to expose the devastating secret intertwining the brothers forever—the truth behind the death of a woman they both loved.

My Review:

For some reason, I seem attracted to the mystique that is the Blue Ridge Mountains—maybe from my riding days when the Blue Ridge Parkway was on my bucket list. So it was easy to grab this title, helped in no small part by the blurb.

“…the majestic, rolling landscape of the Blue Ridge is nature’s equivalent to the music of Patsy Cline…”

Oh, the prose.

Nailed it.

First, it was obvious from the author’s writing style that it was going to be unique. A good ole boy, Cillian, his musings—dark and honest as they were—confiding his sinister thoughts was a hook. He knew horses (his equine experience didn’t end well), but it was his estranged brother that fueled the fury within him. The resolve to kill his brother. The bane of his existence.

Interesting to get his side—then flip—and get his brother Christopher’s POV. And the immediate impression is one of a narcissist. Gees, no wonder Cillian had such a problem—but who was it said identical twins were opposite on the human spectrum. Everyone?

Christopher is popular; climbed the political ladder now viewing a possible run for governor. Is that even possible knowing what Cillian knows about his brother?

Cillian and Christopher share a secret, however, one so terrible, so horrendous there will be no reconciliation. Ever.

The author carefully develops his characters; molded, shaped by time, experience, love. Hate.

And then there is Audrey, Christopher’s carefully crafted love for Cillian’s beloved. His plot to secure her for his own gone terribly wrong. Irrevocably tragic. Each plotting the end of the other’s bid for her.

Then, the death of Christopher before Cillian can do it himself. Who? Why? Cillian so easily framed for his murder—a plot piece that fell neatly into the puzzle. How will Cillian find the answer without revealing the dark guilty secret each held?

A well-plotted and fast-paced narrative, this storyline just keeps adding intrigue, suspicions, twists and turns. The author adds just the right amount of hope and then yanks the rug out from under the feet. Can there be any escape here? Redemption? Solution?

I held out hope to the end.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts. I’m looking forward to what this author comes up with in a sophomore novel.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Political Thrillers & Suspense, Noir Crime, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Level Best Books
ASIN: B0CJKXKVJN
Print Length: 247 pages
Publication Date: January 9, 2024
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link: Blue Ridge [Amazon]

The Author: Peter Malone Elliott is an author, screenwriter, and developmental editor. Born and raised in Virginia, he now lives in Brooklyn, but still holds the magic of the mountains and Southern living near and dear to his heart. BLUE RIDGE is his debut novel. Other notable writing achievements include a Leo Award nomination for “Best Screenwriting, Motion Picture” and winning the Grand Prize of the Script Pipeline Screenwriting Competition. Peter is also the founder and owner of Fortiter et Recte Literary, where he offers bespoke editorial consulting for manuscripts and screenplays.

#TuesdayBookBlog

Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff – #BookReview – #domesticthriller

A Mess Hopkins Novel

Book Blurb:

Mess Hopkins, proprietor of the seen-better-days Fairfax Manor Inn, never met a person in need who couldn’t use a helping hand—his helping hand. So he’s thrown open the doors of the motel to the homeless, victims of abuse, or anyone else who could benefit from a comfy bed with clean sheets and a roof overhead. This rankles his parents and uncle, who technically still own the place and are more concerned with profits than philanthropy.

When a mother and her teenage boy seek refuge from an abusive husband, Mess takes them in until they can get back on their feet. Shortly after arriving, the mom goes missing and some very bad people come sniffing around, searching for some money they claim belongs to them. Mess tries to pump the boy for helpful information, but he’s in full uncooperative teen mode—grunts, shrugs, and monosyllabic answers. From what he does learn, Mess can tell he’s not getting the straight scoop. It’s not long before the boy vanishes too. Abducted? Run away? Something worse? And who took the missing money? Mess, along with his friend Vell Jackson and local news reporter Lia Katsaros, take to the streets to locate the missing mother and son—and the elusive, abusive husband—before the kneecapping loansharks find them first.

His Review:

Mess has been charged with running the motel while his parents are seeing the world. Problem is, Mess has a heart of gold and no business sense. His benefactor realized this was the case and left a manager at the motel to keep Mess in line.

Mess hates to see abused women and is always trying to give them a place to stay to avoid abusive relationships. The abusers are not happy with his benevolence. Escaping the beatings and abuse is not easy for the victims and Mess is risking his own life at times to aid these unfortunates.

The Fairfax Motor Inn is not exactly the pride of Fairfax and a refuge for the desperate. His current charges are a battered woman and her son. The son, Kevin, is not happy with the situation and causes many problems but Mess decides that he will protect the mother and save her son.

The rub is that the mother does not want to be saved either. There are those who seem to feel that the two might be hiding a bag of cash and now both mother and son have disappeared. Things could get messy indeed.

C E Williams This book is a fun read about a do-gooder and a fifteen-year-old dropout. Anyone tasked with raising a fifteen-year-old never-do-well will identify! Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my unbiased opinions and mine alone.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Noir Crime
Publisher: Level Best Books
ASIN: B0C8BPCN5N
Print Length: 301 pages
Publication Date: October 24, 2023
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Before Alan stepped off the corporate merry-go-round, he had an eclectic (some might say disjointed) career. As an engineer, he worked on nuclear submarines, supervised assembly workers in factories, facilitated technology transfer from the Star Wars program, and learned to stack washing machines three high in a warehouse with a forklift. He even started his own recycling and waste reduction newsletter business. Now he writes fiction.

Alan Orloff’s debut mystery, DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD (Midnight Ink), was a 2010 Agatha Award Finalist for Best First Novel. He’s written two books in the Last Laff mystery series, KILLER ROUTINE and DEADLY CAMPAIGN (also from Midnight Ink), and writing as his darker half Zak Allen, he’s published three books: THE TASTE, FIRST TIME KILLER, and RIDE-ALONG. His novel, RUNNING FROM THE PAST, was one of the initial Kindle Scout selections.

His novel, PRAY FOR THE INNOCENT, won the 2019 ITW Thriller Award for Best E-Book Original.

His novel, I KNOW WHERE YOU SLEEP, was a Shamus Award Finalist for Best First PI Novel.

HIs YA thriller, I PLAY ONE ON TV, won both the Agatha Award and Anthony Award for Best Children’s/YA Mystery.

His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including JEWISH NOIR, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, CHESAPEAKE CRIMES: STORM WARNING, Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, WINDWARD, SNOWBOUND, LANDFALL, SEASCAPE, and MASTHEAD (BEST NEW ENGLAND CRIME STORIES 2016 – 2020), THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD, MYSTERY MOST GEOGRAPHICAL, GUNS + TACOS, and MICKEY FINN: 21st Century Noir, Volumes 1 and 3.

His flash fiction story, “Happy Birthday,” was nominated for a 2018 Derringer Award, and his story, “Dying in Dokesville,” won a 2019 Derringer Award.

His story, “Rent Due,” won the 2021 ITW Thriller Award for Best Short Story, and “Rule Number One” (SNOWBOUND, Level Best Books) was selected for the 2018 edition of THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES anthology, edited by Louise Penny.

He loves arugula and cake, but not together. Never together.

Alan can be followed/stalked on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/alanorloff) and Twitter (@alanorloff). For more info, visit http://www.alanorloff.com

Hope Island (Coffin Cove Mysteries Book 3) by Jackie Elliott – #BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Hope Island by Jackie Elliott

Book Blurb:

Andrea “Andi” Silvers is starting to feel like this tiny fishing village of Coffin Cove, on the Vancouver coast, just might be home. She’s living with Hephzibah and sort of dating Harry. Her job at the Gazette is going well. Things are looking up.

Then the body of a young woman is found on nearby Hope Island, where Hephzibah and Harry’s mother moved to when they were children.

Andi sets out to get the scoop on the story. She wants to be the one to identify the body and to find out what happened.

Meanwhile, Inspector Vega is on holiday in the Yukon, and finds himself caught up in a murder investigation there. A woman has been killed and her husband clinging to life in hospital.

It soon becomes clear that there’s a link to Coffin Cove. The man grew up there and left after his first wife disappeared.

Could the body found at Hope Island be his missing wife?

The stakes ramp up when Harry and Hephzibah’s dad is discovered murdered on his boat.

Did he know something he shouldn’t? The deeper Andi digs, the more dirt she uncovers. But are any of them ready for the truth?

Discover a web of murder and mystery laced with humour and a thread of romance in this fast-paced whodunnit set on the gorgeous coast of Western Canada.

My Review:

Andi Silvers has settled in Coffin Cove and is working on the local paper as a reporter. Then some remains are found at a demolished cottage in the picturesque little settlement in Northern Canada, obviously forty or fifty years old.

Digging for info on the remains, old secrets begin to rise to the surface, and certain more powerful people would prefer the secrets stay just that—secret.

Given that this is my first in the series and this is Book 3, I seem to be missing a little backstory. I was busy sorting out main characters with the support characters when more were added, including PC Beth Stanton. (New to the story and new to the team?) Inspector Vega is supposed to be taking a break, but that isn’t working out well for him. The switch to the Yukon characters was a bit disorienting.

I’m not sure why I struggled with this novel. Perhaps an inability to engage with the protagonist, the confusion of multiple characters, or a switch of locations. The investigation continued but didn’t seem to make much headway and as the plot swung into the conclusion became more brutal to the point of gratuitous violence and disbelief. I couldn’t buy survival of that last horrific scene.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Noir Crime, Serial Killers, Serial Killer Thrillers
Publisher: Joffe Books
ASIN: B09VCPJ4Y9
Print Length: 318 pages
Publication Date: April 7, 2022
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: Hope Island [Amazon]

The Author:

Jackie Elliott - author — Jackie Elliott

[No bio info evident.]

©V Williams

#TuesdayBookBlog

Silencio! (Dev Haskell Private Investigator Book 30) by Mike Faricy – #BookReview – #privateinvestigatormysteries

Mike Faricy is the winner of:

The 2019 Crime Masters of America Poison Cup Award.
The 2020 Crime Master’s of America Best Selling Series Award.
The 2021 Midwest Mystery Writers Award.
The 2021 Crime Master’s of America Poison Cup Award.

Book Blurb:

Private Investigator Dev Haskell is summoned by local crime lord Tubby Gustafson to look into the inner workings of financier Casper Trickle. It seems Gustafson is looking to invest. Dev contacts former friend, with benefits, Heidi Bauer. He’s just met Melissa Donnelly on line and surprisingly she seems interested in him. There’s just on problem, Melissa’s ex-husband, Jeremy Lawrence, a stalker with a well deserved restraining order. Dev has his hands full and crime lord Tubby Gustafson is about to add to the pressure. Fortunately, Dev’s Golden Retriever, Morton is on hand to keep things in line. You’d better check it out. Oh, and get comfortable, because you won’t want to put Silencio! down. Enjoy the read!

Faricy is America’s hottest new mystery writer and Dev Haskell is one of the looniest and most enjoyable characters inhabiting the world of fictional private investigators out there today.

His Review:

Dev Haskell has another round of problems. A lovely lady has a vindictive ex-husband who is making her life miserable. His drive-byes are scaring her as he is a complete head case. Meanwhile Haskell’s pro-bono work for Tubby is ramped up with the usual amount of threatening sarcasm.

Mike has developed a tried and true method of writing Dev Haskell, Private Investigator. The pretty ladies who are generally his clients seem to get an amazing amount of pro-bono work out of him. At times he dodges bullets or bad men but winds up successful in the end. I wonder how he can even walk after some of the beatings he takes in the novel.

Silencio is another of those fun, fast reads. Simply put, it will keep you awake and turning pages. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Between the two of us, we have reviewed a number of Faricy’s novels, this series (the last being The Big Gamble), as well as the Jack Dillon Dublin Tales, (the last being Dublin Moon) and all continue to be engaging and entertaining. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Private Investigator Mysteries, Cozy Mystery
ASIN: B09N42KKNP
Print Length: 283 pages
Publication Date: January 9, 2022
Source: Author request
Title Link: Silencio! [Amazon]

The Author: Mike Faricy was awarded the 2016 IACM Silver Award for Best Mystery Author.

His books have held the #1 slot in the Kindle Store in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and India.

[Truncated…see his author page for a full listing of his books]

The Irish Gazette referred to; “The laugh a minute storylines of Faricy’s deliciously engaging worlds.”

Mike’s Dev Haskell series books are stand-alone, they can be read in any order. His Corridor Man series was initially written under the pseudonym Nick James and should be read in order. His Jack Dillon Dublin Tales series was originally written under the pseudonym, Patrick Emmett. His Hotshot series are standalone tales that can be read in any order. Faricy’s novels are filled with the sort of oddballs we’re all curious about, but wisely prefer to keep at a distance. His characters serve not so much as an example as they do a warning. None of them will be saving the world from terrorism, international banking conspiracies or coups to take over the government. Rather, Faricy’s characters inhabit a world just below the surface of polite society. The circumstances they find themselves in are usually due to their own bad decisions, but then bad decisions make for interesting stories.

Reminiscent of the late Robert B. Parker, Faricy’s tightly woven Dev Haskell series is penned with a delightful sense of humor and even some romance. Entertainment is the name of the game as back-slapping, corner-cutting, babe magnet Dev Haskell interacts with such quirky characters as ice cream mogul Mr. Swirlee, The D’Angelo brothers, local crime lord Tubby Gustafson, ‘Fat Freddie’ Zimmerman, former NFL tight end Luscious Dixon, exotic dancer Swindle Lawless, and gorgeous Heidi Bauer. The Dev Haskell novels can be read in any order.

Faricy’s Corridor Man series was originally released under the pen name Nick James. The series is a bit more gritty than the Dev Haskell series and a lot more violent. Disbarred attorney Bobby Custer makes his way back into the legal game. He’s neurotic, psychotic, psychopathic, narcissistic, greedy, unprincipled and . . . always charming.

Faricy’s Jack Dillon Dublin Tales series was originally released under the pen name Patrick Emmett. US Marshal Jack Dillon is sent to Dublin to escort a prisoner back to the US. Things don’t go exactly as planned and trouble ensues. Dillon becomes permanently stationed in Dublin, just to get him out of his boss’s hair. Things take an entertaining turn from there, think of a cross between Dev Haskell and James Bond.

Faricy’s Hotshot series are zany, delightfully entertaining standalone crime tales.

Enjoy the reads!

Originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota, Faricy still spends six months of the year in the saintly city as well as six months in Dublin, Ireland. Thanks for taking the time and be sure to tell 2-300 of your closest friends.

Visit Mike on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MikeFaricyBooks
Visit Dev Haskell’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/DevHaskell
Email Mike” mikefaricyauthor@gmail.com
Follow Mike on Twitter @mikefaricybooks
Mike’s web site: http://www.mikefaricybooks.com

©CE Williams – V Williams

Deadly Little Lies: An utterly addictive psychological thriller by Stephanie DeCarolis –#BookReview – #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

THE PERFECT LIFE

Juliana Daniels finally has the life she’s always dreamed of. A loving husband, a career as an attorney, and a cozy apartment in Manhattan to call home.

But when she gets a message from an old college friend, her blood runs cold. Remember me?

ONE DEADLY LIE

Juliana drops her phone as though she’s been scalded. The name Jenny Teller shines out from the screen… but Jenny can’t have sent that message.

Because Jenny is dead.

Juliana’s other college friends have all received the same message. The four of them are the only ones who know the truth about the night Jenny died. It’s a secret they have kept buried for thirteen years.

WHO DO YOU TRUST?

With ‘Jenny’ now blackmailing them and threatening to expose their secret, only one thing is certain. Someone else knows the truth about that night… or one of them is lying.

My Review:

Juliana Daniels (Jules) has managed to secure for herself a scholarship to a pretty exclusive university where she feels the deep divide between her middle class upbringing and that of her new monied classmates. It might have been a serious struggle had not Tori (her new roommate), Nessa, and Emily included her into their little clique.

Emily is the obvious alpha, taking Jules on quietly as a “project” and grooms her to be as narcissistic as herself. With her new status, she feels important, looked up to, and just as quietly abandons old friends, counting the minutes when the holidays with her parents are over and she can return to campus life where she’s learned to party hardy.

“It wasn’t enough to just be desired; if I was going to keep up, I had to learn to desire nothing in return.”

The narrative settles into chapters alternating between “Now” and “Then.” The Now describes her inclusion as a successful attorney, a Manhattan apartment, and a loving, attentive, supportive husband, Jason.

Then swings us back to her university years where she experiences something that will haunt her during the intervening ten years until she gets the same taunting message as her so-called snobbish, titled friends, “Remember me?” But it can’t be her—they all know that—because she’s dead.

UGH! I liked Jason. But Jules, Tori, and Nessa not so much. Emily was meant to be disliked and she was truly nasty, raising the blood pressure every time she had the focus. Their shared horrific event brought them together again, trying to discern who could possibly have sent the first and then additional messages, as well as intrusions into Jules home. And none of it shared with Jules’ husband. Oh, these deep, dark secrets!

As they are all summoned together for a tenth year reunion, matters come to a head, the pace escalates into the conclusion. There were twists and turns, some expected, some not, though I had not anticipated the final reveal.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through @NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are my honest thoughts.

Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Women’s Detective Fiction, Noir Crime, Domestic Thrillers
Publisher: HQ Digital
ASIN: B09HMNK836
Print Length: 378 pages
Publication Date: November 26, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Stephanie is the USA Today best-selling author of The Guilty Husband and Deadly Little Lies. She is a graduate of Binghamton University and St. John’s University School of Law, and she currently lives in New York with her husband, their two daughters, and their very spoiled cat.

The Night Thief (Jackman & Evans Book 8) by Joy Ellis – #BookReview – #noircrime

Book Blurb:

FROM #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR JOY ELLIS, A TOTALLY ABSORBING CRIME THRILLER FULL OF STUNNING TWISTS AND TURNS. YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN.

Discover the author who’s sold over two million books globally.

When everyone is sleeping, he comes into their houses.

He takes one thing. A photo of their child.

A thief on a power trip or something even darker and more sinister?

Detectives Jackman and Evans find themselves on the hunt for a highly unusual burglar who seemingly only steals photographs. But then, late one night, an elderly woman falls to her death after seeing someone in her home.

Did she really fall, or was she murdered?

And just how many mysterious intruders are there on the Fens?

With the body count rising, Jackman and Evans have their work cut out for them to track down the night thief — before it’s too late.

Full of twists and turns, this is a crime thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the shocking ending.

His Review:

Waking with a start and finding someone standing at the foot of your bed is one of life’s ongoing terrors. Usually, it is just a voyeur getting his jollies off without doing any harm. The opening chapter of this book shatters that illusion. A lonesome widow loses her life thinking her long dead husband has come back to her.

A series of deaths of middle aged or senior ladies follows. There are no signs of entry into the houses. How could this have occurred? This author paints a graphic picture of a cat burglar who has left his usual non-violent mid-night wanderings to commit murders during his roaming.

Ms. Ellis has developed a very interesting psychological profile of a very disturbed younger individual. Her portrayal of the culprit is developed as a result of a very bad and tragic childhood. Certainly, mothers are integral to the education and experience of both young boys and young girls’ development. The youngsters in this case are mentally abused to the point of a total non-traditional approach to reality.

Life is a series of hardships to be overcome by these victims. Striking out is a defense mechanism that helps to cope with reality. The story developed a very engaging psychological profile of the voyeur/killer. One could have sympathy to some extent for the killer except for the lives the person has taken and shattered. Add to that a moral compass that was totally destroyed in childhood and this tale becomes extremely scary.

I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand some of the deviants in society. The criminology methods followed to find the killer or killers is very thorough and at times aggravatingly slow. As I read the book I continually hoped for some kind of resolution to this person’s mental deficiencies. Read the book and see if you have the same effect. 4 stars – CE Williams

We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Noir Crime, Serial Killers, Murder
Publisher: Joffe Books
ASIN: B09HCKJRST
Print Length: 371 pages
Publication Date: November 18, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: The Night Thief [Amazon]

The Author: Joy Ellis grew up in Kent but moved to London when she won an apprenticeship with the prestigious Mayfair flower shop, Constance Spry Ltd.
Many years later, having run her own florist shop in Weybridge, Ellis took part in a writer’s workshop in Greece and was encouraged by her tutor, Sue Townsend to begin writing seriously. She now lives in the Lincolnshire Fens with her partner Jacqueline and their Springer spaniels, Woody and Alfie.

The Silent Witness: (Detective Amanda Steele Book 3) by Carolyn Arnold – #BookReview – #noircrime

Rosepoint Publishing: Five Stars

Book Blurb:

It’s 4 a.m. when her mom shakes her awake. “Get up baby, we’re going to play hide and seek.” The little girl presses back into the dark space, holding her breath as she hears the shots ring out. She knows she’s next…

When the bodies of a local family are discovered on a quiet street in the small town of Dumfries, Virginia, Detective Amanda Steele takes charge of the case. Brett and Angela Parker were shot three times each, leaving no hope of survival, and their tidy suburban home has been ransacked. But there is no sign of their beloved six-year-old, Zoe.

Zoe is the same age as Amanda’s daughter was when she died, and Amanda can’t bear the thought of another little girl in danger. She’s organizing a search for the child, when she notices something strange about the ottoman at the foot of the Parkers’ bed. She opens it to find Zoe, mute and traumatized, but alive.

With Zoe completely uncommunicative, Amanda must find another way to untangle what destroyed this seemingly perfect family. It’s clear that the killer is searching for something the Parkers had, and until she has this monster behind bars, Amanda fears that he may return for Zoe. When she learns that Brett Parker cut short the family’s recent lakeside vacation, she wonders why. What happened at that lake house, and did it ultimately get them killed?

Amanda heads out to Lake Chesdin on the feeling it might be key to the case, and when she finds a cell phone in the murky waters next to the Parker cabin, she knows she’s made a breakthrough. But then terrible news reaches her from Dumfries; Zoe has been taken from her school playground.

Someone wants to silence the Parker family for good, can Amanda catch them before the little girl she’s desperate to protect pays the price?

His Review:

Brett, Angela and their daughter were in the wrong place at a bad time. How could their first family vacation turn out so wrong? Brett loved to take pictures but the pictures he took that fateful morning should not have happened. Frantically he had the women in his life hide in their master bedroom.

Amanda Steele is a first-rate detective who loves her job. One of the down sides of the job is investigating horrific crimes. Her working relationship with her office is basically great except for her boss. For some unknown reason her boss seems to hate her and puts her down every chance she gets

Investigating the murder scene Amanda notes they are a young couple with a child nearly the age of her own. The couple is killed by apparent professionals and the little girl is nowhere to be found. Was she staying with relatives or had she been away for a weekend with a friend? The child named Zoe is found in a storage ottoman in the dead couples’ bedroom.

The killings had occurred quickly and efficiently, but why? Thankfully her mothers’ last act was to hide the child in the ottoman. Terrified she did not make a sound and stayed totally still. The killers had overlooked her. Can Amanda keep the child safe while investigating the crime?

Ms. Arnold builds a strong case for methodical investigative tactics. Her heroine is hobbled by the responsibility to keep young Zoe safe while investigating the deaths. She is aggravated by the fact that the papers in their zeal to report sensational crimes mentioned that the child was the only one to escape the massacre.

This tale develops at a fast clip and I found it hard to put the book down. The total lack of compassion or sympathy toward the two victims and their daughter raised a deep wish for revenge against the killers. How can someone kill a young mother in the same room as their daughter with no worries about the future of the child?

Amanda had lost her own daughter in a tragic accident in which she also lost her husband! She is torn between placing the child in Child Protective Service and possibly adopting her. Zoe is her daughter’s age.

The book is compelling and I applaud the author for her skill in story telling. 5 stars – CE Williams

Certainly not the first book reviewed for this author. I also enjoyed a few of the last, including Book 1 of this series, The Little Grave. We received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author and publisher through NetGalley that in no way influenced this review. These are his honest opinions.

Book Details:

Genre: Noir Crime, Serial Killers, Organized Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Bookouture
ASIN: B09236T3JF
Print Length: 324 pages
Publication Date: September 24, 2021
Source: Publisher and NetGalley
Title Link: The Silent Witness [Amazon]
Barnes and Noble
Kobo

The Author: CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.